Accessibility Program Manager

Career Guide

An Accessibility Program Manager leads company wide efforts to make digital products, services, and content usable for people with disabilities. This role coordinates teams, sets standards, tracks progress, and helps the organization meet user needs and legal expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Create and maintain an accessibility roadmap with clear priorities and milestones
Set accessibility standards and guidance for product, design, and engineering teams
Partner with leaders to align accessibility goals with business goals
Build a repeatable process for accessibility reviews across the product lifecycle
Coordinate accessibility testing for websites, apps, and documents
Track accessibility issues and ensure timely fixes through to completion
Measure and report accessibility progress using clear metrics
Run training and awareness programs for teams and executives
Manage relationships with external accessibility auditors and consultants
Support procurement reviews to ensure vendors meet accessibility requirements
Handle risk management related to accessibility complaints and escalations
Document decisions, policies, and program outcomes for accountability

Top Skills for Success

Program Management

Stakeholder Management

Accessibility Standards Knowledge

Risk Management

Project Planning

Communication

Training Facilitation

Accessibility Testing Coordination

Issue Triage

Data Reporting

Policy Development

Change Management

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Accessibility Program Manager

Accessibility Specialist

UX Program Manager

Product Operations Manager

Compliance Program Manager

Quality Assurance Manager

Transition Opportunities

Head of Accessibility

Director of Accessibility

Product Operations Director

Trust and Safety Program Manager

GRC Program Manager

Customer Experience Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Accessibility Standards KnowledgeAssistive Technology FamiliarityAccessibility Testing CoordinationPolicy DevelopmentMetrics DefinitionVendor Accessibility EvaluationChange Management

Development SuggestionsBuild a simple accessibility scorecard, partner with design and engineering on a repeatable review process, complete a recognized accessibility training, and run a pilot program on one product to prove impact before scaling.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$90k to $120k

Mid Level$120k to $160k

Senior Level$160k to $210k

Growth Trend

Growing demand. Accessibility expectations are increasing across technology, retail, finance, healthcare, and government facing services, with more organizations building formal accessibility programs.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

MicrosoftGoogleAppleAmazonMetaSalesforceAdobeIBMIntuitServiceNowWalmartUnitedHealth Group

Industry Sectors

TechnologyFinancial ServicesHealthcareRetail and EcommerceEducationMedia and EntertainmentTravel and HospitalityGovernment and Public SectorTelecommunications

Recommended Next Steps

Create a portfolio of one accessibility program plan with goals, milestones, and metrics

Document an end to end accessibility workflow for design, development, and release

Practice writing clear issue reports that include user impact and priority

Set up a lightweight dashboard for tracking accessibility issues and fixes

Deliver a short training session for a cross functional team and collect feedback

Network with accessibility leaders and join accessibility focused professional groups

Update your resume to highlight program outcomes, metrics, and stakeholder alignment